Huntsville gazette., 1887-08-20
jerk the croaking, barking dog-fsA
was swung into the boat.

l
have often held by the line twelve
or thirteen-foot man-eater in the South
while it was towing my boat, and seen
over the side half dozen others fol-
lowing it along as if waiting for the
moment when their comrade in the
tolls should, by sudden turn, land me
in their midst; but l think l never ex-
perienced the same disagreeable sensa-
ton as when looking down into the
clear water off the Maine coast and
watching these hounds, so active and
ready to rush at the first object that
fell over. They were desperate with
hunger; fact which l proved by open
ing large number, in no case finding
any thing in their stomachs. They
hung about the boats, bit at the oars,
and some of the sails that had dragged
overheard were rent and torn by their
sharp teeth, and such were their num-
bers that the men had but to stand in
the boats and harpoon them as they
appeared.
For weeks the dories came in loaded
to the waters edge with these scaven-
gers. The livers were sold at cent
apiece to be tried out into oil, while
the farmers came from far and near
and carried off the bodies to use as
dressing for the soil Farther up the
coast large buildings can be seen bear
ing the sign, ''Dog-fsh bought and
sold,' or more commonly "Dog-fish
factory" There are firms who encour-
age the capture of the dogfish, buy
| them by the thousand and convert them
into guano.
The ferocity of these gigantic packs
of hounds has been shown on many an
occasion. Men have been seized by
them, and l have been told authentic
| details of such attacks that exceed in
horror any tales of the man-eater shark.
The common dolphin, whose daz-
zling colors when dying so often excite
the wonder and admiration of the be-
holder, pursues its victims, like the
hound, in packs of from four or five to
a large number. They are found in
the high seas, and particularly in the
South, preying upon the flying fish; q
number following the fleeing school,
dashing after them with wonderful
speed and pressing them so hard that
| they are forced to rise into the air and
soar away. to fall into the jaws Of an
advance guard of the cunning fishes
that, from long experience, well under
stand their victims ways and habits.
Strange to say, the tables are some
times turned, and the fishes themselves
are preyed upon by packs of land ami
mails. An instance of this is sometimes
seen in the great rivers of South Amer
lea, where gigantic fish, perhaps the
heaviest of all bony fishes, is found
the studs. This great member of the
finny tribe attains length of twelve
or thirteen feet, is proportionately
bulky and robust, and protected by a
seemingly invulnerable armor of flint
like scales; has large mouth, and is
endowed with remarkable strength and
agility; yet it falls victim to small
land animals that seem to delight in
testing its strength and endurance.
These aquatic hunters are bands of
| South American offers, animals not
much larger than an ordinary cat, and
very insignificant when compared to
the prey they attack. Perhaps they
are close observers of the habits of the
fish which, at certain seasons, comes
| close in shore in shallow water, and
lies motionless. At this time the OF
ters, in packs of from four to dozen
or more, creep along the banks, softly
working their way under the thick
growth of tropical vines that often
hides the shores of these rivers. When
the great form of the studs is seen, they
collect, and, with sudden dash, rush
at it.
The frightened fish leaps high out Of
water in his alarm and terror, but the
nimble otters seize it in every available
part, and sometimes every fin, as the
monster rises, has pendant river
hound, while others swim and dive
about, watching for an opportunity to
aid in the capture.
Often the great fish succeeds in shak-
ing off his enemies by furiously dart
ing away; but, as the otters are ena-
bled to remain beneath the surface for
some time without air, by clinging to
the great game, they ultimately wear
it out. Sometimes, in the first blind
rush, it runs ashore upon sandbar;
but, as rule, it reaches the deep
waters, and darts here and there,
dragging the plucky hounds, until
finally, its strength exhausted and un-
able to reach them, it succumbs, and
is soon destroyed.
To return to the fishes: Many of the
mackerel tribe in southern waters seek
their prey in packs, or schools, and in
the vicinity of Yucatan | have stood
in water three feet deep, completely
hedged in by mass of fish from one to
| two feet long, that were so intent
upon the capture OF smaller fish, which
they had driven ashore, that they paid